Christmas Past and Present
by Tarafina
Summary: It wasn't what it had been but it had its own charm. :Chloe/Dean:


**Title**: Christmas Past and Present  
**Category**: Smallville/Supernatural (Crossover)  
**Rating**: K+  
**Genre**: Drama/Romance  
**Pairing**: Chloe/Dean  
**Series**: Christmas Ships  
**Word Count**: 1,510  
**Summary**: It wasn't what it had been but it had its own charm.

**_Christmas Past and Present  
_**-1/1-

Chloe Sullivan was used to a certain kind of Christmas. One with the scent of Mrs. Kent's apple cinnamon pie strong throughout the house, with a large, fresh pine tree covered in ornaments collected over so many years. She was used to egg nog, sometimes mixed with Bart's rum if he managed to sneak past Martha that year, and large turkey dinners with all the trimmings. She'd be listening to Lois and Clark arguing in the background over which angel should go on top while Victor turned the volume up on "It's a Wonderful Life," to drown them out and watch his favorite Christmas movie. She'd be avoiding the walkway where Oliver and Dinah would be putting the mistletoe to good use and hoping the Mrs. Kent wasn't planning on sending the many logs of fruit cake on the table home with them; she already had a garbage can full of them at home.

But this year she wasn't anywhere near all of that; there was no cheer or Jingle Bells playing in the background. There was no talk of white Christmases or cards being written to be sent away to family and friends. There was no egg nog, spiked or otherwise, and there was no presents or trees or ornaments in sight. There was pie, but there always was, and it was never as good as Martha's.

With such a dreary Christmas Eve, she'd decided to go to sleep early and crawled into bed wearing the darkest clothes she owned, which was actually one of Dean's faded Metallica shirts that she'd _borrowed_ a few months earlier. Nearly a year ago, she'd been on the run from more than she ever thought she could get herself ensconced in. Murderous intergalactic monsters and dead husbands aside, she had a million and one other problems that couldn't seem to stay away. Add to that, Clark taking her memories of him and she just couldn't stand to stay there anymore. So she left, with nothing but the clothes on her back and a chip on her shoulder. And then she ran into Dean and Sam, a couple of 'roadtrippers' as they called themselves. She learned soon enough that wasn't the case and for some reason, while it should've made her run just like all the other problems in her life, she stayed.

Sam had taken the Christmas holiday off, flying out to see a certain Sarah Blake while she and Dean stayed back, still hunting and pretending the Christmas season wasn't happening all around them. But as much as she tried not to think about old Christmases and all that they entailed, she couldn't help but wish that she had even a little bit of it. Her new life wasn't exactly bursting with happiness or cheer and just one day out of the year didn't sound like much to ask for. Yes, she had two very good friends at her side day in and day out that always tried to remind her that while it might not all be fun, it was doing the world good, she still wanted more. She couldn't go back, she knew that. And she'd accepted most of it; that Davis, who she'd once had feelings for, was a homicidal monster, that Jimmy was gone for good, and that her best friend had taken it upon himself to save her from the secret she'd kept so diligently. But she was lonely now and tired of life, past and present, so much so she was beginning to lose hope for the future.

The Motel door opened and out of instinct, her hand wrapped around the blade hidden beneath her pillow. Her entire body went rigid but when she heard the heavy boots being kicked off, she relaxed. It was just Dean; probably with another pie and some M&M's. She continued to pretend she was sleeping, not ready to face yet another penetrating look of his where he silently asked what was wrong with her lately. He wasn't one for feelings, but his face often said it all. Handsome as he was, he managed to make every expression there was to ask all the questions she didn't want to answer.

She heard him cursing under his breath, not entirely unusual but she was wondering what had him so pissed off. She wanted to tell herself that maybe he hadn't lucked out with some flighty blonde at the bar and he was just annoyed but it hadn't escaped her attention that he'd been paying less and less attention to the many buxom airheads that layered the bars at each town they passed through. She told herself it was just a natural journalistic instinct to take in each and every detail of the people around her and their tendencies. But she eventually had to admit that she paid more attention to Dean than she did Sam, which she then told herself had nothing to do with how handsome he was or how easily they bantered and argued as if it came second nature. He was challenging and she knew he thought the same in her; it wasn't often that she found someone like that. But she didn't want to put too much stock in something like mutual bullheadedness; it wasn't going to lead anywhere... They were both too twisted for that.

"Cheap ass hotels... Never any damn heat..." she heard him mutter irritably.

Despite her mood, a smile tugged at her lips.

"Chlo?" he called quietly, nudging her shoulder.

Not wanting to face him, she continued to fake sleep.

"Come on, Blondie... This is as close as you're getting to a Christmas miracle, so wake your pretty little ass up."

Frowning, she rolled over. "Gee, Dean, could you be any more..." She trailed off as she noticed something peculiar. "Is that a cactus?"

If she didn't know better, she would've sworn he was blushing a little. "Yeah, it was... It was all they had..." He cleared his throat, rubbing the back of his neck before he dug around in his jacket pockets. "I know it's not really a tree, but... Uh..." Licking his lips, he held up a tiny little bell with an angel sitting on top of it. "You wanna decorate it anyway?"

She felt her chest tighten and her heart swell simultaneously. "You bought a cactus and an ornament for me?" She couldn't keep the disbelief out of her voice.

He looked ready to cringe, his eyes falling. "Yeah, well..."

She took the ornament from his hand and turned it over before she let out a giggle. "Baby's First Christmas?"

He rolled his eyes. "Like I said, it's all they really had left..."

Throwing the blanket off herself, she stood up from the bed and walked toward the cactus sitting on the table. It wasn't a very large or attractive plant, but... It was the thought that counted. Sliding the white ribbon of the ornament over one of the needles, she stepped back and grinned. It was... the ugliest, worst Christmas tree ever, but... She absolutely loved it. Looking over her shoulder at him standing awkwardly off to the side, she reached out and grabbed his hand, dragging him over to stare at it. She twined their fingers and then leaned her head against his arm. She smiled when she felt him relax, as if just that small action of hers told him he'd done the right thing.

Turning, she reached over and turned the TV on to the channel where the fire crackled on the screen and then turned around and wrapped an arm around his neck.

"What're you doing?" he asked, voice a little lower, deeper as she began to sway back and forth.

"We're dancing," she told him with a shrug.

"To what?"

She grinned up at him. "I could sing, but the only song I know all the lyrics to is Jingle Bells..."

He cleared his throat. "Never mind." He rested a hand on the small of her back and danced stiffly with her, not quite sure what to do. They danced quietly for a minute or two before she heard him singing quietly. Drawing her in closer so she wouldn't look at him as he did it, he sang against her ear, warm breath skittering over her ear. "_Have yourself... a merry little Christmas... Let your heart be light... From now on... our troubles will be out of sight..._"

Letting her eyes fall closed, Chloe relaxed into Dean's deep voice and warmed in his embrace, despite the cold of the room. She felt his hand slide up and down her back soothingly and his fingers tighten around hers. So it wasn't egg nog and spiced apple pie, it wasn't a pine tree with a bright angel or her closest friends and family celebrating all together. But it was her and one incredible friend, one who had just let her know that the future could be better than she imagined... And he'd be there to make it just that.

"_And have yourself a merry little Christmas now..._"


End file.
